Vir Bor'Assen
by lillgremlin
Summary: Talila had been sent on a scouting mission but after it goes horribly wrong, she is left stranded in the Wilds. The only way she can survive and have any hope of returning to her clan is if she puts her trust with the Wardens, a group of humans...
1. Chapter 1

Hey all! It's been a while since I've posted a story but this idea has been in my head for a while and I've drawn a blank on my other two stories. I'm considering scrapping them and starting over as I'm really not happy with them, I feel I can do better.

This isn't the original Dalish Origin, it is a completely different Elf from a different Clan. It is not linked to the original one at all. Just letting you all know.

Anyway I hope you enjoy my first instalment and would appreciate feedback. Constructive criticism is welcome but please no flaming. Sorry that the chapter is so short but it is only the Prologue and I should hopefully have the first chapter out later on today or at least tomorrow morning.

So again Enjoy! and review! Review! Review!

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**Vir Bor'Assan**

**Prologue**

The cold seeped into her bones, sending chills through her body. Talila shifted closer to the fire, trying to claim as much warmth as possible. The cloak she hugged tightly around herself, made from the fur of a brilliant white wolf she had killed, earning her the place as a proper hunter in her clan, earned little in the way of warmth. She could already see frost trying to form on the forest floor and she knew that it would be another sleepless night of just trying to keep the cold out. Not that it had mattered anyway, every time she closed her eyes, all she could see was the faces of her fellow hunters, screaming at her to run as they were cut down by those... things. They had given their lives to save her; being one of the few mages in her clan she was incredibly valuable. It didn't stop the guilt that raked her body every time she thought of them though. She was alive and whole, managing to escape with just a nasty looking bite on her leg and now she feared their deaths were going to be in vain. She was running low on food and the few animals she had come across looked diseased ridden, patches of fur falling from their bodies and their eyes a ghostly, milky white. It was about a month's journey back to the Brecillian forest where her clan were currently dwelling, there was no way she could survive such a long trip with so little food.

She slammed her fist on the ground in frustration, cursing this scouting mission for what seemed like the hundredth time. They had all known the risks when they had set out into The Wilds. Their Keeper had sensed the Darkspawn corruption starting to spread and a small band of hunters was sent to scout the South to see how bad it really was, gather as much information as possible and then report back so the Dalish could make the right preparations.

It had not been a total waste, the Darkspawn were indeed a real threat. They group that had attacked them had been bloodthirsty and relentless. She had not been prepared for how monstrous the creatures were, the very air around them stank of evil, tainting everything around them. She had come across more and more of them as she made her way through The Wilds, using the shadows of the forest to slip passed them. She hoped she could avoid them until she could find her way out but she found herself more and more weary with each passing day. Her only hope was if she came across a kind soul that could help her but in this Darkspawn ridden wilderness, where there was death almost every turn and the closest settlement being full of humans who see her people as savages, that was almost impossible...

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Translation: Vir Bor'Assan - Way of the Bow (Yeah I know, not the best title but it's the best I could come up with! Titles are not my forte').

Again thank you for reading and the first chapter should be out soon!


	2. Chapter 2

Woo! The first chapter and the story is starting to take shape. I'm hoping to have the next chapter up in the next few days, hopefully nothing will happen that will take up all my time.

Hope you all enjoy it and please review! You guys are what keep me going!

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Age, everything apart from my character Talilia belongs to Bioware.

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It had been just over a week since the Darkspawn had attacked Talila's scouting group and her energy seemed to be dwindling with each second. Many times she had found herself almost collapsing where she stood and breaking out into cold sweats. It didn't help that the bite mark on her leg had been itching like crazy ever since that creature had sank his teeth into her. She had healed her wound, leaving only a faint scar but she still had to keep applying poultices to quell the itching, even though the relief only lasted for a few hours. Now, she was all out of health poultices and the itching was spreading through the rest of her leg. It was so damn distracting she could barely concentrate on her surroundings and letting your guard down in the Wilds is a never good idea. She just hoped that as soon as she got some decent food down her throat, she might regain some of her strength. So far it had been slim pickings of just rabbits here and there, and the meat on them hardly sating her somehow accelerated hunger.

Even though all she wanted to do was collapse on the forest floor and never get up, she pushed on. She needed to get back; they needed to know what happened to her fellow hunters, her family in all but blood. They needed to know the Darkspawn threat was indeed real, to prepare themselves. She gritted her teeth as she felt the prickle of tears behind her eyes, clamping her eyes shut she refused to cry. She needed to get home to her Mother, needed to let her know she was safe. She had been so proud of her when she had become a full hunter and received her Vallaslin. Talila had been surprised, thinking her mother would be furious that she gave up the opportunity to be the Keepers Apprentice; it was a great honour amongst the Dalish. But she had always been a hunter at heart, ever since she first felt a bow in her hand, the smooth feeling of Ironbark between her fingers. Lanaya had been a good choice; she was one of her greatest friends and would do anything for the clan. Her mother had just said that the Creators obviously had other plans for her and been there to see her off when she left, the first time she had ever been away from the clan.

She continued walking through the forest, blinking back the tears and ignoring the need for rest her legs were screaming at her. She was used to walking long distances, it came with being Dalish but she had barely stopped moving in days. She was too jumpy to fall asleep, being on her own and knowing that some Darkspawn could be in the shadows had her on edge and up for most the night.

It didn't take long though for her to have to give into her body as her legs practically shook from the strain. She removed her Bow and arrows, before sliding down the side of a tree, her body almost sighing in relief. She made sure to keep her weapons as close as possible and she had a pair of twin daggers strapped to her thighs so she was ready in case anyone, or anything, attacked. Though she didn't know how much use she would be in a fight she was so exhausted. It was taking all her willpower not to pass out then and there. She grabbed the leather flask attached to her hip and poured the remaining water to try and keep herself awake. She wiped the liquid from her eyes and sighed at the freshness of it dripping down her back. Sliding her daggers from out their sheaths she grabbed a whetstone from her pack and proceeded to sharpen them, hoping that if she kept herself busy it would keep her awake.

She had only been sharpening her blades for a few minutes when she started to feel incredibly uneasy, like something just wasn't quite right. Her keen eyes searched the forest though she saw nothing moving beyond the trees. She strained her ears to hear anything but there was nothing, not a single sound.

She quickly jumped from the ground, sliding the dagger back into its sheath and grabbing her bow and arrows as she stood. She spun around wildly, pointing her arrows between the trees, her fingers just itching to let it go. The forest was quiet, too quiet, something that unsettled her more than the noises of the forest that surrounded her at night. There was no snapping of twigs, not a single wolf howl or the shriek of a hawk. Even the wind seemed to have stopped and the trees stood eerily still.

There would be only one reason why all wildlife would have fled the area, something unnatural was nearby. She could almost feel it herself; it turned her blood to ice and the hairs on the back of her neck to stand on end. Slowly, one step at a time, she forced her feet to start moving forwards, her bow still drawn as she walked. Her movements were feather light and careful but still her steps seemed to echo around the empty forest. She could hear her heart beat in her ears and her breath was coming out in small puffs before her.

White hot, searing pain suddenly shot up through her leg, spreading to the left side of stomach. Her bow clattered to the ground as her whole body started trembling, her legs giving out from underneath her. She bit her lip to stop the screams of pain tearing from her throat, so hard she could feel drops of blood trickle down her chin. Her hands glowed a bright blue as she attempted to use her healing magic to cease the burning sensation. She would take the annoying itch over this any day. Nothing she did seem to work though, the burning just spreading through the rest of her abdomen. Panic started to set in as she staggered to her feet, grabbing her bow as she went. Her feet were unsteady as she made her way through the trees, more than once finding herself on the floor again. She would always get back up though, hoping to find some water to soak herself in. Maybe it might stop the flames that were spreading through her blood.

She carried on like this for a few minutes, each second dragging on for what felt like hours. Whisperings through the trees started to surround her and she snapped up her bow again, her arms trembling from the effort. She staggered back and forth, searching the trees to see who, or what, the voices belonged to. Her foot snagged on an exposed root and she stumbled backward, slamming her head into the side of a tree. Stars danced in front of her eyes and she could already feel a bruise forming. She blinked several times, trying to right her vision. The voices were still there and it was only then she realised that they were actually inside her head.

"I must be going mad..." She muttered, rubbing her temples and trying to will the voices to stop. They persisted though, there murmurings turning more urgent. They were... telling her to move. Keep walking. She didn't know what it was but she wanted... she wanted to listen to them.

As if on cue, her feet shuffled forward, appearing to have a mind of there own. The voices kept telling her to walk, assuring her she would be safe soon. She believed them, a new found energy suddenly springing inside of her.

She placed her bow back upon her back and before she knew it, her feet were flying across the forest floor. The flames were advancing through her entire body but the pain seemed distant now, all her concentration focused on what the voices were telling her, almost like it was singing.

It was getting louder and louder the further she ran, vibrating through her entire being. The forest was becoming more dense, a corrupt smell was breaking through the trees. She sniffed the air and wrinkled her nose in disgust. It was... familiar. She continued to move forward, the corrupt stench getting stronger with each step until it became almost too much to bear. She doubled over on all fours and vomited onto the forest floor. That smell... it was evil, there was no other word to describe it and she would recognise it anywhere. It broke through her haze and she was able to block out the voices slightly. They were still there, its enchanting song trying to drag her back in and it took all her willpower to ignore it.

She grabbed onto a low branch and pulled herself upwards, if she got high enough maybe she could see what she was being led to. Although, judging by the stench she already had an idea but it had never been this potent before. The numbers must be... well... she didn't want to think about it and she preyed to all her Gods that she was wrong.

When she reached the top, she scanned the horizon and what she saw forced her to clamp her hand over her mouth to stop the scream escaping her throat.

There were thousands upon thousands of Darkspawn; they stretched across the Wilds like a black, endless fog and they were slowly moving north. It was the most horrifying thing she had ever seen it was sure it would be something she would never forget.

The song continued, more desperate than before as if it knew it was losing her. She hissed through gritted teeth, the pain was spreading to her head and she couldn't resist it for much longer. She had to get out of here before the pain and the song became unbearable.

She carefully started to climb down the tree, her eyes watering and blurring her vision. When she finally landed on the forest floor, she didn't waste time and sprinted as fast as her legs could carry her, determined to get as far away as possible, no matter how tantalising the song was.

She ran for what felt like hours, scratches littering her arms, legs and bare midriff where her Dalish armour didn't cover her, her cloak snagging on several branches as she went. The persistent whisperings had stopped and the forest was thinning, it wasn't long before her legs just gave up and she feel to the ground, the strain becoming too much. She removed her bow and arrows from off her back before propping herself up against a nearby log and tried to steady her breathing. Her body no longer felt it was ablaze, returning to the prickly feeling beneath her skin but it was no longer just in her leg.

"What's happening to me?" She whispered the panic coming back full force. She ran her palm across her face and she felt it coat in sweat, her fever returning again.

That Darkspawn that had bitten must have infected her with something. She removed her boot, wanting to get a good look at the scar. It was nowhere as faint as it was, it was now a blazing red and it seemed to pulse. She ran her fingers along it and jumped slightly when it practically burned. She growled in frustration and tossed her boot away from her, which she regretted instantly but she was too tired and upset to even think about crawling over to get it.

She was dying and she knew it, this strange, Darkspawn plague slowly sapping the life out of her. Her shoulders shook with sobs that were now raking her body. She had never been more scared in her life. The thought of dying out here, alone and slowing going mad, it was horrifying. She had never been alone in her life, always been surrounded by her clan. This isolation was terrifying.

Slowly, her tears subsided and her head lulled into the side, falling into unconsciousness. Her last thought being that of her Clan and how she would never see them again.

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Yes, I know in the original Dalish origin, the character gets tainted but I really wanted to describe the feeling of the taint spreading in her body with no one around to help straight away. I hope it turned out okay.

Again, thank you for reading.


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